1. Field
Apparatuses and methods consistent with exemplary embodiments relate to a vacuum cleaner, and more particularly, to a suction nozzle which separates dirt from a surface to be cleaned and sucks the separated dirt, and a vacuum cleaner having the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typically, vacuum cleaners suck the air including dirt from a surface to be cleaned by suction force generated in the vacuum cleaner, separate the dirt from the air, and collect the separated dirt. The vacuum cleaner includes a suction nozzle facing the surface to be cleaned.
In the suction nozzle of the related art, a bottom facing the surface to be cleaned is formed to be flat, and a suction inlet of the suction nozzle is formed to cross the bottom of the suction nozzle along a width direction. When the surface to be cleaned is a wooden floor, such a suction nozzle structure allows the bottom of the suction nozzle to be in uniformly close contact with the wooden floor, and thus a partial loss of suction force may not occur.
However, when the surface to be cleaned is deformed due to the suction force of the suction inlet, such as with a carpet, the surface to be cleaned is not in close contact with the flat bottom of the suction muzzle. That is, the suction force is greatest in a portion of the suction inlet in which a dirt inlet is located, and the suction force is relatively reduced in a portion of the suction inlet disposed gradually away from the dirt inlet, for example, at left and right ends of the suction inlet. Thus, since a portion of the carpet corresponding to the dirt inlet is strongly affected by the suction force, the portion of the carpet is absorbed to the suction inlet, and is in contact with the bottom of the suction nozzle. However, since other portions of the carpet which are not close to the dirt inlet are relatively weakly affected by the suction force, even when the other portions of the carpet are lifted toward the suction inlet, the other portions of the carpet are not completely in contact with the bottom of the suction nozzle and are spaced from the bottom of the suction nozzle. Therefore, a portion between the carpet and the bottom of the suction nozzle, in which loss of the suction force is caused, occurs, and thus cleaning efficiency is degraded.
Further, since the dirt may be tangled with fibers of the carpet, the dirt is not properly sucked up by only the suction force of the suction inlet. In particular, the dirt suction efficiency is remarkably reduced in the portion of the carpet away from the dirt inlet due to the weak suction force.